Extradition issues remain for two in Vanderbilt rape case

Whether two California men will be moved to Tennessee to stand trial on charges in a Vanderbilt University campus rape case remains in question after initial hearings this week.

One defendant's attorney has said he will fight extradition proceedings - prompting Nashville authorities to vow to continue their efforts - and the other pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge Tuesday but has yet to be scheduled for an extradition hearing.

Meanwhile, attorneys for four former Vanderbilt University football players and one suspended player made court filings that prevent the men from appearing in Davidson County court today - when attorneys are scheduled to go forward with the arraignment hearings, which typically consist of a brief reading of charges.

Authorities have charged four former players with multiple counts of rape, and a fifth with being an accessory after the fact in connection with a June rape of an unconscious female student in a campus dorm.

Charged with five counts each of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery are: Brandon Vandenburg, 20, from California; Cory Batey, 19, of Nashville; Brandon Eric Banks, 19, from Maryland; and Jaborian McKenzie, 18, from Mississippi. Vandenburg - still jailed - is charged with one count of unlawful photography and tampering with evidence.

Suspended wide receiver Chris Boyd faces one count of being an accessory after the fact for his role in attempting to cover up the incident, police said.

Californians Miles Finley, 19, and Joseph Quinzio, 20, were charged with tampering with evidence.

On Monday, Quinzio's attorney said the warrant for his client's arrest was based on outdated police information, and that Quinzio was on the "outskirts" of the case based on a text message he received from one of the other defendants. He said he would attempt to get Tennessee authorities to withdraw an extradition request.

Susan Niland, spokeswoman for the Davidson County prosecutor, said authorities will move forward with the effort to extradite Quinzio.

"We don't know to what the attorney is referring as far as new information that has come to light," Niland wrote in an email. "The grand jury returned the indictment(s) based upon the evidence they were presented and those charges still stand."

Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron echoed that.

"We will let the facts come out in court," he said via email.

Defendants who resist extradition could prompt authorities to request a governor's warrant from Gov. Bill Haslam. That hasn't happened in the Quinzio case.

Finley pleaded guilty Tuesday to a charge of driving on a suspended license - unrelated to the Vanderbilt investigation - and will be scheduled for an extradition hearing next, said John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.